Baseball | Clippers season preview: Meet the team

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the players that will begin the season with the Clippers.

Catcher

Roberto Perez

Vitals: 5 feet 11; 225 pounds (age: 25)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Selected in the 33rd round of the 2008 first-year player draft.

The skinny: Defensive specialist became the Clippers’ primary catcher after a June 13 call-up from double-A Akron. He batted .176 with no home runs and 24 RBI in 67 games.

George Kottaras

Vitals: 6-0; 200 (age: 30)

Bats-throws: L-R

Acquired: Released by Chicago Cubs on March 26; signed as a minor-league free agent by Cleveland on Monday.

The skinny: Veteran has played 295 games in the majors as a backup for the Red Sox, Brewers, Athletics and Royals. Kottaras spent 2013 with the Royals and played for Indians manager Terry Francona with the Red Sox in 2008 and ’09.

First base

Jesus Aguilar

Vitals: 6-3; 250 (age: 23)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Signed Nov. 13, 2007, as a nondrafted free agent.

The skinny: Also will be used as a designated hitter. … The No. 19 overall Indians prospect, Aguilar set an Akron franchise record with 105 RBI and led the Indians’ minor league system in 2013. He batted .275 with 16 home runs and a .349 on-base percentage.

David Cooper

Vitals: 6-0; 205 (age: 27)

Bats-throws: L-L

Acquired: Re-signed on Dec. 9 as a free agent.

The skinny: Also will be used as a designated hitter. … Suffered an upper-back injury while playing for the Blue Jays in August 2012 that required surgery in March 2013 to repair vertebrae. … Played seven games for the Clippers in August before asking for his release. … Outrighted to Columbus on March 4.

Second base

Jose Ramirez

Vitals: 5-9; 165 (age: 21)

Bats-throws: S-R

Acquired: Signed Nov. 26, 2009, as a nondrafted free agent.

The skinny: Cleveland’s eighth-ranked prospect jumped from Akron to the Tribe in September, where he had 12 at-bats in 15 games and hit .333. … Stole 38 bases for Akron and struck out only 41 times in 482 at-bats.

Shortstop

Justin Sellers

Vitals: 5-10; 160 (age: 28)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Contract purchased by Indians on March 2 from the Dodgers.

The skinny: Played 83 games over the past three seasons with the Dodgers in a utility role. … Batted .270 with six home runs and 65 RBI for triple-A Albuquerque in 2013. … Also can play second base and third base.

Third base

Ryan Rohlinger

Vitals: 6-0; 195 (age: 30)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Re-signed on Nov. 1 as a minor league free agent.

The skinny: Played 92 games for the Clippers in 2013, mostly at third base, hitting .266 with five home runs and 25 RBI. He has played 46 games in the major with the Giants.

Outfield

Matt Carson

Vitals: 6-2; 200 (age: 32)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Re-signed Dec. 13 as a minor league free agent.

The skinny: Strong-armed outfielder had 19 assists, one off the franchise record, for the Clippers in 121 games. He also had 14 homers and 49 RBI. Carson earned a September promotion to Cleveland, where he had seven hits in 11 at-bats.

Tim Fedroff

Vitals: 5-10; 200 (age: 27)

Bats-throws: L-R

Acquired: Selected in the seventh round of the 2008 first-year player draft.

The skinny: Now in his fourth season with the Clippers, Fedroff has a .270 career average in triple-A. He slumped to .242 in 136 games in 2013, but had a career-high 22 stolen bases.

Carlos Moncrief

Vitals: 6-0; 220 (age: 25)

Bats-throws: L-R

Acquired: Selected in the 14th round of the 2008 first-year player draft.

The skinny: The 10th-ranked Indians prospect had a breakout season on offense with Akron in 2013. A converted pitcher, Moncrief batted .284 with 17 home runs and 75 RBI. Like Carson, he has a “plus” arm.

Utility

Bryan LaHair

Vitals: 6-5; 240 (age: 31)

Bats-throws: L-R

Acquired: Signed on Feb. 5 as a minor league free agent.

The skinny: National League All-Star in 2012 at first base while playing for the Cubs. … Played for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan in 2013 and had offseason surgery on his left wrist. … Also can DH and play the corner outfield spots.

Audy Ciriaco

Vitals: 6-3; 195 (age: 26)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Signed on Jan. 10 as a minor league free agent.

The skinny: Primarily a shortstop over nine minor league seasons with time at third base and brief stops at first base and left field. … Spent most of the 2013 season with double-A Jacksonville (Marlins).

Starting pitchers

Trevor Bauer

Vitals: 6-1; 190 (age: 23)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: From the Diamondbacks on Dec. 11, 2012, as part of a three-team trade also involving the Reds.

The skinny: The third-ranked prospect in the Cleveland organization returns to Columbus for a second season. He had an uneven 2013 — 6-7 with a 4.15 ERA — while refashioning his delivery. … Also made four starts for the Indians.

Josh Tomlin

Vitals: 6-1; 190 (age: 29)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Selected in the 19th round of the 2006 first-year player draft.

The skinny: Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in August 2012 cost him most of the 2013 season and his spot in the Indians rotation. Now healthy, Tomlin was the final starter cut by the Tribe this spring.

Tyler Cloyd

Vitals: 6-3; 210 (age: 26)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Claimed off waivers from Philadelphia on Oct. 12 and re-signed to a minor league contract on Dec. 13.

The skinny: Voted the International League’s most valuable pitcher in 2012 after going 12-1 with a 2.35 ERA with Lehigh Valley. … Split last season with the IronPigs and the Phillies.

Travis Banwart

Vitals: 6-3; 220 (age: 28)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent on Dec. 13.

The skinny: Spent the past four seasons pitching for Sacramento (Athletics) of the Pacific Coast League. Banwart began 2013 in the bullpen but moved into the rotation. He was 6-0 with a 3.84 ERA over his final 11 starts.

T.J. House

Vitals: 6-1; 205 (age: 24)

Bats-throws: R-L

Acquired: Selected in the 16th round of the 2008 first-year player draft.

The skinny: Made 24 starts for the Clippers in 2013 and went 7-10 with a 4.32 ERA. Over his final 11 starts, House was 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA. … Spent three days on the Indians’ active roster but didn’t pitch.

Relief pitchers

Austin Adams

Vitals: 5-11; 190 (age: 27)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Selected in the fifth round of the 2009 first-year player draft.

The skinny: A starter for three seasons in the organization, Adams missed 2012 after having surgery on his right shoulder. … Returned to Akron as a reliever in 2013 and was 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 45 games. He struck out 76 in 55 innings.

Scott Barnes

Vitals: 6-4; 200 (age: 26)

Bats-throws: L-L

Acquired: In a July 27, 2009, trade with the Giants.

The skinny: Has ridden the Columbus-to-Cleveland bullpen shuttle a half-dozen times over the past two seasons. … Pitched in 23 games for the Clippers in 2013 before an injury to his left wrist ended his season with a 7.81 ERA.

Brett Brach

Vitals: 6-2; 190 (age: 26)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Selected in the 10th round of the 2009 first-year player draft.

The skinny: Spent most of 2013 in the Akron rotation and was 9-9 with a 4.79 ERA in 27 outings. … Made two starts for the Clippers and was 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA.

Nick Hagadone

Vitals: 6-5; 230 (age: 28)

Bats-throws: L-L

Acquired: In a July 31, 2009, trade with the Boston Red Sox.

The skinny: Split a third straight season between Columbus and Cleveland, and had five stints totaling 36 games for the Indians in 2013. … Held IL hitters to a .203 batting average in 27 games for the Clippers, and was the closer in August.

C.C. Lee

Vitals: 5-11; 190 pounds (age: 27)

Bats-throws: R-R

Acquired: Signed Sept. 16, 2008, as a nondrafted free agent.

The skinny: Made his way back from Tommy John surgery in June 2012 to reach the Indians’ bullpen in July of last season. He returned to Columbus (1-0, 2.37) before getting a September call-up. He was 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA for the Tribe.

Mark Lowe

Vitals: 6-3; 210 (age: 30)

Bats-throws: L-R

Acquired: Signed as a free agent on March 29.

The skinny: Veteran has eight years and 264 games of major league experience with the Mariners, Rangers and Angels. … Was 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 24 games for Syracuse (Washington) in 2013.

Mike Zagurski

Vitals: 6-0; 240 (age: 31)

Bats-throws: L-L

Acquired: Signed Nov. 22, 2013, as a minor-league free agent.

The skinny: Had short stays with the Pirates and Yankees in 2013. … In 279 minor-league games, has a 3.16 ERA and 455 strikeouts in 3582/3 innings.

Disabled list

C Matt Treanor (left hamstring)

RHP Matt Capps (right shoulder)

RHP Shaun Marcum

(thoracic outlet syndrome)

RHP J.C. Ramirez (left thumb)

RHP Bryan Price (right shoulder)

Roster limbo

C Luke Carlin

RHP Preston Guilmet

RHP Frank Herrmann

LHP Colt Hynes

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.